This is a list of presidents of the History of Medicine Society of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Numerous distinguished authors and historians became presidents and many more were invited to speak.
1912-1931 Years Image Name Comments 1912–1913 Sir William Osler British Canadian, known as "king of pranks", Osler was one of the "big four" founding members of the Johns Hopkins Hospital where he had arrived in 1888 as physician in chief. He is best remembered for establishing the medical residency programme, taking medical students to the bedside, writing major textbooks and whilst in England as Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford, founding the history of medicine section at the RSM in 1912.Johns Hopkins Medicine: The Four Founding Professors. Hopkinsmedicine.org. Retrieved on 18 June 2018. Raymond Crawfurd described him as a "magnet" in attracting members. Undeterred by opposing Sir Richard Douglas Powell who felt the Society had too many sections already, Osler meticulously planned the establishment of the History section, individually writing to more than 160 potential members. He considered the section one of his better achievements in his later years and his wish was for it to be a common meeting place for "scholars, students and all those who feel that the study of the history of medicine has a value in education". 1913–1916 Sir Norman Moore, 1st Baronet British physician, lecturer in anatomy and pathology and historian, Moore is best known for his connection with the Royal College of Physicians, GMC and his writings on history of medicine. To his disappointment he did not make the first president as Osler had recommended. 1916–1918 Sir Raymond Henry Payne CrawfurdCrawfurd graduated in classics from New College, Oxford in 1888, before studying medicine. Primarily physician and lecturer at King's College, he became its medical Dean and major player in moving the hospital to Denmark Hill, for which he was knighted in 1933. Due to chronic illness, he left active medicine and wrote on history of medicine, publications including, The Last Days of Charles II (1909), The King's Evil (1911) and Plague and Pestilence in Literature and Art (1914). 1918–1919 Sir D'Arcy Power Physician at St Bartholemew's, Power was a prolific writer of medical history. He later recalled how the section was "more like a family than an integral part of a great scientific society". 1920–1922 Professor Charles Singer Physician, pathologist and historian, he was invited to Oxford by William Osler in 1914, later becoming professor in history of medicine at University of London in 1930. One of the original history section members, Singer retained his position as editorial representative for twenty three years and maintained a high quality of the section's publications. He supported refugee scholars fleeing Nazi Europe and is known for his many publications of short histories. He kept a miniature set of traffic lights to control lengths of speakers, switching to red when they became dull or prolonged. 1922–1924 Sir Arnold Chaplin After studying at St. Bartholomew's Hospital Singer's primary appointment was at the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, where he remained for the next twenty-nine years. He co-authored the textbook on Fibroid Diseases of the Lung, and The Science and Art of Prescribing and wrote The Illness and Death of Napoleon Bonaparte (1913). He loved old books and prints, and became Harveian Librarian at the Royal College of Physicians. 1924–1926 John Davy RollestonAn original member of the Section, he was a member of the council, secretary and president. 1926–1928 Walter G. Spencer Known as "The Historian of Westminster" by fellow medics. 1928–1930 Herbert R. Spencer Obstetrician who wrote about William Harvey, midwifery and external cephalic version. 1930–1931 Sir Humphry Rolleston 57th president of RSM.
1931-1960 Years Image Name Comments 1931–1933 Robert Oswald Moon Consulting physician to the National Hospital for Diseases of the Heart and the Royal Waterloo Hospital and a staunch Liberal, and a member of the Reform Club. His main interest was in the classics and was demonstrated in his book on The Relation of Medicine to Philosophy, his Fitzpatrick Lecture before the Royal College of Physicians in 1921 on Hippocrates and his successors. He witnessed "three wars and contested five general elections". 1933–1935 Sir St Clair Thomson Wrote book Diseases of the Nose and Throat and was president of the Royal Society of Medicine between 1925 and 1927. 1935–1937 Edwin Goodall 1937–1939 Alexander Polycleitos Cawadias 1941–1942 John Frederick Halls Dally Chest physician 1942–1944 Sir Walter Langdon-Brown 1944–1945 John Frederick Halls Dally 1945–1947 Sir Arthur MacNalty 1947–1948 Hubert James Norman, MB 1948–1950 Edgar Ashworth Underwood Married Singer's daughter, director of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, (1946-1964) & influenced Sir Henry Wellcome's collection. Revised Singer's short history of medicine (1962). 1950–1952 Lilian Lindsay 1952–1954 Lord Webb-Johnson 1954–1956 Sir Zachary Cope Physician and surgeon who wrote a textbook on surgery and the history of medicine. At the jubilee meeting of the section, he pleaded for younger professionals to be involved. 1956–1957 Douglas GuthrieGuthrie, an ENT surgeon, wrote A History of Medicine (1945), which gained fame following a review by George Bernard Shaw. He gave his presidential address in 1957 when he stated "…it is obvious that history supplies an essential basis of medicine. It gives us ideals to follow, inspirations for our work and hope for the future". 1957–1959 Sir Weldon Dalrymple-Champneys, Bt CB FRCP 1959–1960 Cuthbert Dukes
1960-1990 Years Image Name Comments 1960–1962 Kenneth David Keele 1962–1964William Henry McMenemey 1964–1966 W. S. Copeman Accomplishing a great deal to promote history of medicine, Copeman attributed the establishment of the faculty of history of medicine and philosophy in 1959 to much of the section's influence. 1966–1968 Henry Cohen, 1st Baron Cohen of Birkenhead 1968–1970 Sir Terence Cawthorne ENT surgeon at King's College Hospital and various other London hospitals, Cawthorne also became president of the Harveian Society and the Royal Society of Medicine. He was knighted in 1964. In 1968, he was elected president of the section.However, he died before delivering his address. 1970–1972 Kenneth Bryn Thomas 1972–1973 Richard Alfred Hunter 1973–1975 William Hartston Chest physician and lecturer for DHMSA. 1975–1977 Frederick F Cartwright Anaesthetist with special interest in Otolaryngology, Cartwright published on history of medicine, became Head of the Department of History of Medicine at King's College Medical School, London and was active at the Faculty of History of Medicine and Philosophy of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. 1977–1979 Alan Waller Woodruff 1979–1981 Peter Maxwell Daniel 1981–1983 Thomas Douglas Whittet 1983–1985 Gweneth Whitteridge 1986–1987 Victor Cornelius Medvei 1987–1988 John M. T. Ford Actively involved in the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries 1988–1989 Alex Sakula 1989–1990 Theodore T. Macadam
1990-2010 Years Image Name Comments 1990–1991 Henry R. Rollin 1991–1992 John R. Kircup 1992–1993 Richard Creese 1993–1994 Denis Dunbar Gibbs 1994–1995 Aileen Adams 1995–1996 Dame Josephine Barnes 1996–1997 Elliott E. Philipp 1997–1998 Robin Price 1998–1999 Michael A. Smith 1999–2000 Sir David Innes Williams 2000–2001 Nicholas Cambridge 2001–2002 Neil Weir 2002–2003 Raymond L. Hurt 2003–2004 Gordon Cook 2004–2005 Sue Weir 2005–2006 K. M. N. Kunzru 2006–2007 John Harcup (d. 9 February 2023) 2007–2008 Adrian Marston 2008–2009 Jean Guy 2009–2010 Tina Matthews
2010-2026 Years Image Name Comments 2010–2011 Claire Elliott 2011–2012 Colin Birt 2012–2013 Richard Pusey 2013–2014 Jennian Geddes 2014–2015 Stanley Gelbier Emeritus professor of dental public health and honorary professor of the history of dentistry at King's College London. He is a former curator of the British Dental Association's museum. 2015–2016 David Siegler 2016–2017 Julie Papworth 2017–2018 Catherine Sarraf 2019–2020 Stephen J. ChallacombeProfessor of oral medicine at King's College in London, best known for research in oromucosal immunology and for developing the Challacombe scale for measuring the extent of dryness of the mouth. He led the team that laid out research challenges of global health inequalities and oral health, particularly relating to the oral manifestations of HIV. 2020–2021 Tilli Tansey 2021–2022 Sean P. F. Hughes 2022-2023 Christopher Gardner-Thorpe 2023-2024 Hilary Morris 2024-Andreas Demetriades2025Marguerite Dupree2026Nadey Hakim
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